This morning when we made this post we missed three names of panellists that were in the workshop. We'd like to thank Connor Yuzwenko-Martin and Ebony Gooden, as well as interpreter Nicole Sanders, for being on this panel and bringing accessibility to the arts community. twitter.com/nextfest…

Did you miss last night’s performance because you were at the Black Lives Matter rally? We recorded the entire performance for you to enjoy (including open captions).
We thank you for supporting #BlackLivesMatter. See you all tonight. Watch here: nextfest.org/nextfes…

We are looking to share & highlight the artists we have been consulting with, however, we are currently waiting on consent to do so. Check back soon to learn about these generous and kind artists. Thank you for your time, your love, and your feedback. #BlackLivesMatter.

We will continue working in consultation and prioritizing making space for artists who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour within our festival and beyond it. We accept the responsibility of taking action on our promises.

Nextfest 2020: Festival COVID-19 Announcement

We are sending you all love in this uncertain time. We have some not-so-great news and some really great news we’d like to share with you regarding Nextfest 2020.

The not-so-great news: due to COVID-19 and the increased need to become physically distant, Nextfest cannot happen as it has over the past twenty-four years. But hold tight. The great news is that Nextfest will still take place this year. The Nextfest Arts Company is enthusiastically embracing change and moving forward by bringing our 2020 festival to the world wide web.

On March 26, the provincial government announced all gatherings over 15 people must be cancelled or postponed until the end of May, which falls very close to our festival dates. Because of this, we are re-imagining the Nextfest experience. This will allow us to preserve the safety of our artists, staff, curators, and audiences while continuing to provide a platform for emerging artists, a meeting ground for community, and a springboard for creative invention.

What does this mean? The eleven-day Festival will be presented online in three sections…

One-on-one mentorship sessions with established artists;

Online workshops; and

Short performances and snippets of works in progress from all mediums and disciplines, streamed live.

Additionally, we are proud to be working with our team to honour financial commitments to artists, curators, and technicians for Nextfest 2020.

While many of us no doubt saw this coming, it still stings. We are mourning our dear summer festival as we move toward a new and exciting version of Nextfest. And we know we’re not alone. We are excited to reach wider audiences and send our love and strength to everyone in the Canadian arts community.

Our plans for Nextfest are still falling into place, and if we’re being honest, we’re not 100% sure where this journey will end up. As we build this year’s festival we are learning and we promise to keep all of you in our Nextfest family informed. Thank you for your love and support. We are excited to start this adventure with you all. Let’s take these next brave steps together, Nextfesters.

This is the time to ask questions. Reach out. Email your curators. Get in touch with your Festival Producers. We’re here for you.